


A Quiet Moment on the Stairs

by That_Geek



Series: The Coming Out Series [4]
Category: Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Alan and Sarah Jane were never subtle, F/F, Maria has a girlfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27421711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Geek/pseuds/That_Geek
Summary: Maria and Alan are visiting from America so the gang is having a summer barbeque. In a quiet moment, Maria has something to tell her mentor and friend.
Relationships: Rani Chandra/Clyde Langer (implied), Sarah Jane Smith/ Alan Jackson (mentioned), Sarah Jane/Alice (OC)
Series: The Coming Out Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999966
Kudos: 6





	A Quiet Moment on the Stairs

**Author's Note:**

> I think the headcanon that Maria is also gay is a popular one and I happen to like it. I also think if you are unsure about things as a teen and you spend enough time around an adult it's likely you might project onto them and develop a crush. Please enjoy, leave a kudos, a comment and thanks for stopping by.

The sun was shining. Luke was in the garden with Alice, listening to her UNIT tales. Sky was with Rani picking some low music and Clyde was by the barbeque not burning their sausages. 

Sarah Jane smiled to herself as she stood leaning aghast the back door watching her family. The heat was getting to her so she walked into the hall and caught her reflection in the mirror. She applied her lipstick but was interrupted by the doorbell. That doorbell sound meant only one thing; Maria and Alan were here. 

"Hello Sarah Jane" Alan greeted her, bending slightly to hug her. She returned the hug and waved to Maria who was standing behind her Dad. Alan moved into the house carrying their bags as Maria hugged her friend.

"It's so good to see you Sarah Jane" her accent was only slightly different. Ok sure Sarah Jane had heard it before over the internet but the American twang was a lot more real in person.

"You too, Maria" Sarah Jane squeezed the young woman. At the voices, Alice's attention had been drawn to the front door. She walked into the hall, Sarah Jane smiled at her and held out her hand.

"Alan, Maria this is my Alice. I mean my partner" the two new arrivals introduced themselves and hands were shaken all round. Clyde popped his head around the kitchen door and waved.

"I'd come out but I think SJ would kill me if I ruin the food"

"Stop calling me SJ, Clyde or I'll trap you back into that book" Sarah Jane shouted through to him, Maria and Alan gave her a strange look, "oh the bookkeeper. He was kidnapping children and placing them into fairytales."

"But then he started targeting us lot when he realised what a foe Sarah was. Guess which book I got trapped in?" 

"I want to say Alice in Wonderland" Maria replied, Alice, shook her head with a look of shock on her face.

"Oh gosh, it could have been so much worse. Did you think that?" She turns to Sarah Jane.

"I mean the bookkeeper wasn't the smartest of villains, was he. But yes, I did check Alice in Wonderland first" she admitted. Alice scoffed.

"It was the Wizard of Oz. My favourite book as a child" the group nodded and moved into the garden. Clyde followed suit soon after, with the food, Maria jumped up to help him.

The group sat around the garden table eating the delicious food 'chef' Clyde had whipped up. Luke was beside Maria and Sky catching his old friend up on the latest gossip, opposite them were Clyde and Rani who were talking about their graduation dinner coming up in the next few weeks but occasionally Clyde would pipe up with an extra detail that Luke had forgotten.

At the other end of the table, the adults sat. Sarah Jane was relaxed in her chair, her head leaned back, eyes closed basking in the sun. Alice held her hand as she talked to Alan.

"So, you are one of Sarah's many exes?" Sarah Jane snapped up and nudged Alice with her foot under the table.

"I was but it was a long time ago" Alan smiles drinking from his cider bottle.

"I thought we said we wouldn't being that up, the kids don't know" 

"Yeah, we kept it on the 'downlow'" Alan used quotation marks. At this point the kid's ears had pricked up, Maria was staring at them wide-eyed and eyebrows high. Clyde and Luke with similar expressions.

"I hate to but in on the adult talk but _nothing_ was on the 'downlow'" Clyde mimicked the earlier quotation marks.

"Yeah, we all knew" Maria added, "Dad is not very subtle when matters of the heart are concerned"

"Matters of the pants more like" Clyde muttered as he stood stacking the empty plates. Sarah Jane and Alan shook their heads.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Um, Mum we were 14 and as far as we were concerned you were two old people having sex. We didn't want to think about that" Luke reaches over and pats his mum's hand. Alice sits in her chair laughing at the scene in front of her. Alan had his head in hands very similar to Sarah Jane whose head was on the table. Her hand was squeezed and she looked up.

"I'm glad you had a good time. Look at you my senior citizen girlfriend catching a man 20 years her junior" Alice teased to which Sarah Jane stuck out her tongue. The rest of the group laughed.

“You are a year younger than me, your bus pass is coming too” Sarah Jane kissed Alice gently the other woman pouting which very quickly morphed into a smile.

-SJA-

The group decided to go for an evening walk to walk off the meal. Maria hung back and waited for Sarah Jane who was fetching a jacket from upstairs. She caught her dad's eye and gave him a nod.

"What was that for Mr Jackson?" Sky asked.

"Oh, nothing. Maria just has to speak to your Mum for a bit." Sky shrugged and followed everyone out of the door. Sarah Jane appeared at the top of the stairs popping the collar of her jacket out.

"Oh great now I'll get complained at for being the last ready"

"It's okay, I actually want to have a word with you?" Maria pointed to the steps and perched herself down. Sarah Jane nodded and sat a couple up.

"Sarah Jane, I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for my life. I was pretty disappointed when I moved to Bannerman Road, mum and dad's divorce wasn't as nice as it seemed sometimes but you were there for me when I needed a friend and an impartial adult to vent to"

"As I said all those years ago, you are like a daughter to me"

"Exactly but and this is embarrassing for me, for a little while I was, well thought I was, in love with you. It confused me for a time but I wanted to come out to you while it was just us" She smiled up at her mentor and it was returned immediately. To be honest, Sarah Jane had almost been expecting it, she hadn't wanted to pre-judge anything but at the time she had sensed the crush back in the day.

"I'll be honest with you, Maria. I knew, well I had my suspicions. I didn't want to say anything because I know what that's like but I'm so happy for you." She shuffled down to share the same step as Maria and hugged her.

"Thanks, Sarah Jane. Did you have a crush on someone you shouldn't when you were 14?"

"Are you kidding? I'd just lost my best friend and my English teacher was doing her very best to support me through it while my Aunt was away. I was convinced I was in love, not that I could do or say much" Sarah Jane admitted.

"I guess not, I'm glad I can tell you though. I wanted to do it sooner but I felt it important to do this in person. At least now I can show you my prom pictures"

"Yeah, I was sad I didn't get to see them"

"Well my date was my girlfriend so"

"Fair enough. Can I see them now?" Maria nodded and pulled her phone out to show them to Sarah Jane. They sat squidged up on the step as Maria showed Sarah Jane the pictures from her most recent prom.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time: Sky has some thoughts to run by her Mum


End file.
